Q: I am an older job seeker and would like to know what catches an employer's eye in a cover letter.

A: Job seekers too often overlook this important aspect of the employment search, some career experts say.

Determine how your skills match up with a potential employer by finding out more about the company through online searches and networking. Then in your letter talk about how your ideas at your previous employer improved customer service or sped up paperwork, whatever the case may be.

When you write the cover letter, be sure to address the person you write to in the letter's first and last paragraphs. Otherwise, the person might not read on.

Before you mail the letter, ask a friend to read it and tell you whether he or she would respond to such a letter.

- Newsday